Garment hanger



Aug. 5, 1958 J. D. FULLER ET AL 2,346,128

GARMENT HANGER Filed m. 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 u l 1 2/ VENAJ R 25 w JAMES D.%LLEK I CLH/QENCE C. TE/am b HTTOICNEYS 1958 J. D. FULLER ET AL 2,846,128

GARMENT HANGER Filed NOV. 19, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOR. JF/MES' D. FULL EB CLARENCE (LTEEIEY United States Patent GARMENT HANGER James D. Fuller and Clarence C. Terry, Seattle, Wash. Application November 19, 1954, Serial No. 469,944

2 Claims. (Cl. 223-91) This invention relates to improvements in what are generally designated as coat hangers but which embody certain improved features of construction whereby they are adapted for the holding of additional pieces of wearing apparel, such for example, trousers, skirts, neckties, and the like; it being the principal object of the invention to provide a hanger of the above character that is adapted for use in the usual way in a clothes closet, and which is especially desirable for use within a garment bag as used for automobile, trailer, airplane or other traveling purposes, wherein the hangers are suspended from a small diameter cross-rod or wire, and may be subjected to considerable shaking around that generally is detrimental to the proper hanging of clothes.

More specifically stated the primary objects of the present invention are the following:

To provide a hanger that is shaped to fit the neck and shoulder portions of the average coat and to hold it, when applied thereto, against slipping to one end or the other thereof with an undesirable wrinkling of the garment. I I

To providea hanger for coats as above described and to equip it with across-bar from which trousers,

skirts and the like may be hung, and to provide the oppositely directed arms of the coat hanger portion with pivotally attached fingers that can be turned from an out of the way position to a position at which they will co-act with the cross-bar for the proper securement of the garment that is applied thereto.

To provide the hanger with a supporting means including a hook that is applicable for support of the hanger, over the usual wooden hanger rod of standardized diameter as used in a clothes closet, and which also has an additional hook forming portion thereof designed for application to a wire or cross-rod of small diameter as used in a garment bag, and so designed that it cannot be detached therefrom by the normal bouncing around or jiggling of the bag as used in a highway vehicle.

To equip the hanger with a convenient and practical means for the proper support of neckties or the like.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, we have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a side view of a hanger embodying the improvements of the present invention therein.

Fig. -2 is a view showing the mode of application of trousers and neckties to the cross-bar of the hanger, and showing the garment holding fingers turned to functional position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is our enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2 showing the relative size and position of the cross-bar, and the necktie holding wire as applied thereto.

Fig. 5 is a view showing the suspending means for the hanger and the mode of its application to a wire or cross-rod.

Fig. 6 is a view showing the suspending hook as applied to a supporting wire or rod.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged top view of the hook forming wire.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The hanger has been shown, in Fig. 1, in its present preferred form of construction. It comprises a frame made up of the rigidly joined, oppositely extended arms 10 and 10'; joined by a straight cross-bar 11 that is extended between their lower end portions. These parts are made of wood, and the arms 10-10 are so shaped and joined as to provide the frame with a centrally located and upwardly rounded medial or head portion 12 in which a suspending hook, designated in its entirety by numeral 13, is attached. From the head portion 12, the arms 10-10 extend outwardly'and downwardly, and they are given a shape that simulates the slope and rounding of the shoulders of a person. At their outer ends these arms turn downwardly, and are channeled across their undersides, as at 14 in Fig. 1 and have the end portions of the cross-bar 11 fitted and glued therein.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the cross-bar 11 has one surface at a slight angle to the arms 10-10 and the bar has a longitudinal channel 15 formed in its underside to its full length in which a still spring steel wire 16 is contained. The opposite end portions 16 of the wire are upwardly offset, as shown at the right hand end of Fig. 1, and are seated in sockets 17-17 formed in the end portions of the cross-bar and communicating with the opposite ends of the wire seating channel 15. Near one end, the cross-bar 11 is recessed, as at 18, to provide an open space 19 therethrough above and along the wire 16 for the easy passing of the end portion of a necktie in applying the tie for suspension over the wire. After a tie has been applied over the wire 16, it can be slipped therealong to desired positions'as ties have been shown at 21 in Fig. 2. The tension of the wire causes the ties to be held secure between the lower channeled edge of the cross-bar 11 and the wire, but they may be easily and readily pulled free.

Pivotally mounted on the arms 10 and 10 extend therealong, near their outer ends, are the garment holding fingers 22-22. Each is attached to an arm by a rivet 23, passed through the outer end thereof, and is permitted to be swung from a position extended along the arm within a recess 24 formed in the side surface of its mounting arm, to a position extended downwardly and across the bar 11 to such position as to bear at its lower end against a garment, as laid against or over the cross-bar 11, to hold the garment secure. For example, in Fig. 2, a pair of trousers, designated at 25, is shown to have the cuffed end portions of the legs laid over the cross-bar, and held at their opposite edges by the downturned fingers 22-22.

Each finger is held by its rivet 23 that extends through the finger and into the arm 10, as best shown in Fig. 4. The rivet also projects through a resilient, dished washer 28 that is contained under compression, between the finger and surface of recess 24, to yieldingly hold the finger at any set position. Also, the finger is slightly rounded along its lower longitudinal edge for easier clamping action over the secured garment. As the fingers are moved into clamping position, they extend at a slight angle so as to be substantially parallel to the cross-bar. This relationship causes the fingers to engage the clothes throughout the Width of bar and prevents marking of the clothes which might occur if the bar and fingers were not in this parallel relationship. The two fingers 22-22, when not in use, can be swung upwardly into the recessed portions of the arms 10-10 to be out of the way and a a permit easy application of garments across the bar 11.

The hanger suspending book 13 is made from a single length of wire, that has its lower shank portions 13s held secure between the joined ends of the arms 10-10. Its upper end portion is bent in such manner as to provide a circularly curved seat 30, as shown herein which is open adjacent the left hand side of the shank for application of the hook over a supporting pole such as that designated by the dot and dash circle 32 in Fig. 1; such poles usually being of wood and about 1 /2" in diameter.

At the top of the book 13, the wire is bent to provide an inverted U-shaped portion 35 designed to be applied over or to receive therein a rod or wire, as at 36 in Fig. 5, such as that provided in a garment bag for the support of hangers. The end portion of the wire which forms the hook 13, at a point beyond the inverted U-shaped portion 35 is circularly bent back upon itself to coact with the part opposite thereto, to complete the seat for the rod or pole 32. This back turned end portion of the wire, designated by numeral 33 is bent angularly to extend just slightly to one side of the plane of the hook seat, as shown in Fig. 7, to provide a very slight gap between its end and the top of the pole seat, for the passing of the supporting wire 36 into the seat 35 as has been illustrated in Fig. 5; it being understood that for an easy application of the hook seat 35 to a rod or wire 36, the parts are turned to the relative angular positions in which they are shown in Fig. 7. Then with the wire 36 seated, the parts are turned to a right angular relationship and the end portion 38 of the back turned wire prevents the wire being unseated.

Hangers of this kind may be made in various sizes, and of various material other than wood without departing from the spirit of the invention. The shape of the hanger holds a coat, or the like, as applied thereto against slipping to one end or the other, causing it to remain in balance. Trousers, skirts and the like may be easily applied over the cross-bar 11 and held secure by the fingers 22-22. Neckties can be held safely and in convenient position on the wire 16.

When a hanger is applied properly to a wire or rod,

as shown in Fig. 6, it is impossible for it to be shaken free so long as it retains its right angular relationship to the rod.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A garment hanger of the character described comprising a rigid and generally triangular, open frame, said frame including two downwardly and laterally diverging arms forming the opposite sides of the frame and said arms being rigidly joined together at their upper ends, a horizontal base bar extending between and rigidly joined at its ends to said arms at the lower end thereof, a suspending hook for the hanger fixed centrally to the upper ends of said arms, at least one of the arms having a recess formed longitudinally thereof and intermediate its end, said recess opening downwardly toward the base bar and to a side of the arm, a garment holding finger disposed in and extended along the recess; the finger being pivotally fixed-at one end to the arm and adapted to be swung downwardly about its attaching pivot and of a length to cross with the base bar to coact therewith for the clamping of a garment that is laid over or against, and suspended from said base bar and the thickness of the finger being substantially equal to the lateral depth of the recess so that the finger is substantially contained within the arm when in upwardly raised position.

2. A garment hanger as recited in claim 1 wherein a recess is provided in each arm and the fingers comprise flat, elongated strips with rounded longitudinal inner edges whereby their movement to a garment clamping position is facilitated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,027,837 Gilman May 28, 1912 1,262,085 Omohundro Apr. 19, 1918 2,079,036 Pfeiffer May 4, 1937 2,210,490 Leonardson Aug. 6, 1940 2,248,358 Keeler July 8, 1941 2,278,912 Busse Apr. 7, 1942 2,656,077 Gensky et a1 Oct. 20, 1953 

